GODDARD TRUSTEES COME OUT IN SUPPORT OF GREENE
PLAINFIELD -- The Goddard College Board of Trustees this morning issued a statement strongly backing embattled president Richard E. Greene.
The long-awaited statement pointed out that Greene was hired by the trustees nearly two years ago to address concerns about the college's finances and educational integrity.
"Rather than imposing our view, we have repeatedly asked the faculty and the administration (including former administrators) to address those concerns and report back to us. The President has been working diligently to address these issues. The board strongly supports him in these issues. The board strongly supports him in these efforts, and does not support the call for his resignation," the statement said.
The trustees went on to say that they also have no intention of changing Goddard's administrative structure either.
"While we understand that we must continue, as a community to clarify roles and responsibilities, it is our intent to make one thing extremely clear. Goddard is, has always been, and will continue to be a college with a policy-making Board of Trustees, a president, and an administrative structure to implement that policy. That is non-negotiable," the statement said.
In addition, the board also stressed that they are committed to Goddard's history of openness and collaboration, so long as it is peaceful.
"Indeed the Board of Trustees firmly believe that honest, civil discourse must be heeded and then anything lass must not hold sway. We must all put our collaborative principles into practice and ensure that our communication is constructive, rather than destructive and our efforts are aimed at resolving differences rather than igniting them," the statement said.
Greene said he was happy with the trustees statement.
"I'm very pleased with the statement. I thought it focused on the major issues that the college needs to work on," Greene said this morning.
Jane O'Meara Sanders, the chair-woman of the trustees, said 15 of the board's 20 members voted to support Greene, and issue today's statement.
The trustees have been under pressure for the past few weeks to take a formal position on Greene, after a large number of students, faculty, and staff at the college called for his immediate resignation.
Greene's opponents claimed his administration is "threatening the very soul" of Goddard and placing its "long tradition of progressive education in jeopardy."
His critics say Greene has mismanaged the college's finances, fired employees who don't agree with him, and trying to introduce a number of changes that will "corporatize" Goddard.
Some people have even called on the trustees to adopt a new administrative structure for Goddard that is more democratic and doesn't have a president.
Despite today's statement, some members of Goddard's faculty and staff are pressing ahead with efforts to unionize.
Employees at Goddard have called on the trustees to recognize the union to save both sides "time, money, and divisiveness."
Workers at Goddard say they are being forced to unionize to address a variety of issues including concerns about the college's existing grievance procedure, intimidation by management, wages, layoffs, and the redefinition of job descriptions, among others.
So far, the employees say they haven't received a formal response from the trustees about their request for immediate union recognition.
Protests against Greene began on April 10 following the sudden resignation of the college's admissions director, Peter Burns.
Burns' letter of resignation, which was widely circulated on campus, touched off a demonstration outside Greene's office that according to some eyewitnesses almost turned violent.
A week later, the college's faculty issued a nearly unanimous vote of no confidence in Greene, and called for him to resign immediately.
Some students, faculty, and staff later went on a food strike to protest Greene's management style, and last month.
On April 25, protesters held a rally outside Greene's office that attracted over 100 people.
